When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in 1798, he brought with him an entourage of more than 160 scholars and scientists. Known as the French Commission on the Sciences and Arts of Egypt, these experts undertook an extensive survey of the countryâs archeology, topography, and natural history. Among the contributors to the survey was Jean François Champillon, who used the famous Rosetta Stone to unlock many of the mysteries that long had surrounded the language of ancient Egypt. In 1802 Napoleon authorized the publication of the commissionâs findings in a monumental, multi-volume work that included plates, maps, scholarly essays, and a detailed index. Publication of the original Imperial edition began in 1809. It proved so popular that a second edition was published under the post-Napoleonic Bourbon Restoration. The âRoyal editionâ (1821-29) from the collections of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is presented here.

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